August 11, 2026 - OAKLAND — California Attorney General Rob Bonta on Monday issued a statement after the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals dismissed Meta Platforms, Inc's (Meta) appeal challenging the Attorney General's social media lawsuit against the company based on Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. Today’s order also denies Meta's motion to stop the trial, set to start this week, from going forward. The lawsuit, filed in 2023 by attorneys general nationwide, alleges that Meta, among other things, designed and deployed harmful features on Instagram and Facebook that drive excessive use by children and teens to their severe mental and physical detriment, all the while misleading the public regarding the existence and severity of these risks.

“On the eve of trial, Meta has resorted to seeking an emergency stay in the appellate courts. Meta’s latest effort to get out of taking accountability has failed — again,” said Attorney General Bonta. “One of my most important jobs as Attorney General is to protect our children from harm. Meta designed a dangerous product for young users, knew it to be dangerous, and then lied to children, families, and the community about how dangerous it was. We are ready to hold Meta accountable for its role in fueling the mental health crisis of American children and look forward to trial. It seems Meta very much does not.”

In 2024, the court largely rejected an attempt by Meta to dismiss the coalition’s lawsuit. And in June, a court denied Meta’s attempt to obtain a summary judgment that would have terminated this lawsuit. The lawsuit alleges that Meta violated federal and state laws, including the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, California's False Advertising Law, and California’s Unfair Competition Law.

The trial in this case is scheduled to start this week: Jury selection starts on August 12, and opening statements are on August 18 in Oakland, California.

Source: CA. DOJ